Tournament of Roses (redirected from Rose Parade)

Tournament of Roses

New Year’s Day flower festival and parade in Pasadena. [Am. Cult.: WB, C:45]

See : Flowers

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Tournament of Roses (Rose Parade)

January 1

The Rose Parade is one of the world's most elaborate and most photographed parades, held every New Year's Day in Pasadena, Calif. The parade is made up of about 50 floats elaborately decorated—and completely covered—with roses, orchids, chrysanthemums, and other blossoms that portray the year's theme. Additionally there are more than 20 bands, 200 horses and costumed riders, a grand marshal, a Rose Queen, and the Queen's princesses. The parade is five and one-half miles long, attracts about one million spectators along the route and picks up about 350 million television viewers around the world.
The first festival, called the Battle of Flowers, was held on Jan. 1, 1890, under the auspices of the Valley Hunt Club. The man responsible was Charles Frederick Holder, a naturalist and teacher of zoology. He had seen battles of the flowers on the French Riviera ( see Mardi Gras in France), and figured California could do something similar; his suggestion resulted in a parade of decorated carriages and buggies followed by amateur athletic events. The parade evolved gradually. Floral floats were introduced, and in 1902 the morning parade was capped by a football game, which was replaced in following years by chariot races. In 1916, football came back, and the Rose Bowl Game is now traditionally associated with the parade.
In 1992, the theme of the tournament was "Voyages of Discovery," and it kicked off the Columbus Quincentennial. Co-grand marshals were Cristobal Colon, a descendant of Christopher Columbus, and Colorado Rep. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a Cheyenne chief.

CONTACTS:
Tournament of Roses
391 S. Orange Grove Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91184
626-449-4100; fax: 626-449-9066
www.tournamentofroses.com

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 12
AnnivHol-2000, p. 3
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 258
FolkAmerHol-1999, p. 9

Celebration day: Jan 1